The young painter grew restless after a while, and
felt the life of the studio narrow and cramped.
He longed to leave Florence and find work in some
new place.

He was not a favourite at the court of Lorenzo
the Magnificent as Filippino Lippi and Botticelli
were. Lorenzo liked those who would flatter him
and do as they were bid, while Leonardo took his
own way in everything and never said what he did
not mean.

But it happened that just then Lorenzo wished
to send a present to Ludovico Sforza, the Duke of
Milan, and the gift he chose was a marvellous
musical instrument which Leonardo had just
finished.

It was a silver lute, made in the form of a horse's
head, the most curious and beautiful thing ever seen.
Lorenzo was charmed with it.

`Thou shalt take it thyself, as my messenger,' he
said to Leonardo. `I doubt if another can be found
who can play upon it as thou dost.'

So Leonardo set out for Milan, and was glad to
shake himself free from the narrow life of the
Florentine studio.